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OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Contraception lawsuits gather steam

Claims filed Monday came from the Archdiocese of Washington, the University of Notre Dame and more than 40 other religious groups who argue the mandate infringes on religious freedom of people who object to birth control. Blunt made a similar prediction in March when the Senate defeated his amendment to allow all employers to opt out of healthcare mandates that violate their beliefs.

"It's not about any specific healthcare procedure, but it's about religious liberty," he said Tuesday. "This should not be something that the administration should be able to force people of faith to do, no matter what the specific thing is that violates their faith."

Because of the law, courts now have to apply certain standards to federal actions that might inadvertently infringe on religious liberty. In one sense, laws under scrutiny must aim to achieve a "compelling" government interest. In another sense, they must be designed in a way that burdens religion as little as possible.

The second claim might be hard for the administration to meet when regulators could have taken many other steps — like expanding Medicaid — to ensure women's access to birth control without a co-pay, experts told The Hill.

DEA could see scrutiny: Community pharmacists are backing the Senate's must-pass Food and Drug Administration bill, expected to see votes this week, including provisions that will probe a potential link between Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) policy and drug shortages.